New Performance Programme Riders

The new horsescotland Performance Squad for 2017 – 2018 can now be announced. The eight riders selected onto the Squad, they are:

Joanna Barry - Dressage

Robyn Smith - Dressage

Katherine Lindsay - Eventing

Wills Oakden - Eventing

Rosa Onslow - Eventing

Emily Parker - Eventing

Graham Babes - Showjumping

Mark Turnbull - Showjumping

The horsescotland Performance Squad is a funded programme via sportscotland Lottery funding. It has been running for many years with previous members including Scott Brash, Douglas Duffin, Louisa Milne Home and Emma Douglas.Kay Gebbie, a Paralympic Medalist is the Performance Manager and the programme is is coached by Commandant John Ledingham (Horse Sport Irelands Performance Coach of the Year in 2016 for the second year in a row) for Jumping and Erik Mackechnie for flatwork. As well as jumping and flatwork training there are many other off the horse training sessions provided, including the services of Robyn Dunn of Outline Chartered Veterinary Physiotherapy for both horses and riders, Andrew Gebbie who does the video analysis and Lauren Semple of Equestrian 24 Fitness who works with our riders to develop personalised training programmes. Further services provided include, provision of weigh bridge for horses, biomechanics and saddle fitting sessions with Mark Fisher and Russell Guire, media training for the riders and much more.

In addition to this training a rider subsidy is provided for the riders for them to use for their own training, an example of this is Joanna Barry who utilises this subsidy to receive coaching from Carl Hester, her coach of 18 years.

The horsescotland Development Squad is for riders who are just below the criteria for the Performance Squad with the aim to improve the riders’ standard to bring riders up to Performance Squad standard in the future.

Ten riders were selected onto the 2017 – 18 Development Squad, they are:

Matilda Haley - Dressage

Douglas Crawford - Eventing

Isabella MacKenzie - Eventing

Morven Pringle - Eventing

Dee Anderson - Showjumping

Gillian Anderson - Showjumping

Ailsa Black - Showjumping

Blyth Brewster - Showjumping

Jodie Majer - Showjumping

Lucinda Stewart - Showjumping

The Development Squad have access to both on and off-the horse training sessions.